Nederlandse Kooikerhondje

The Kooikerhondje is at its happiest when with its family, and makes a loyal, devoted companion. This breed is known to stick closely to its owner, constantly wanting to please and cuddle up close.

With plenty of energy and a warm, friendly personality, it comes as no surprise that the Kooiker makes the perfect playmate. This is a breed who loves to get involved - whether it’s a simple game of catch, a family game, or agility sports, they’re in!

As long as this breed is well-exercised, it’s calm and relaxed in the home.

The Kooiker is often compared to a Border Collie in terms of intelligence. This dog will pick up new tricks and commands with ease, requiring plenty of mental stimulation and challenges to keep them occupied.

Despite its naturally friendly and approachable nature, the Kooiker does have a pretty high prey drive. While socialisation can help, do be aware that they may be tempted to chase small animals and wildlife.

The Kooiker can be reserved in front of people they don’t know, but as soon as introductions are made, they will be friendly and affectionate.

The Kooiker is super affectionate, and also rather dependent on their owner.

Generally, the Kooiker doesn’t cope with time alone. This breed loves people, and they spend too long without them they will be unhappy and may be destructive.

This breed is incredibly easy to train. They’ll shock you with how quickly they pick things up! At times, their stubborn streak may show - but it’s nothing that plenty of positive reinforcement can’t sort out (this breed loves to please!).

The Kooiker’s bark is rarely a problem, but they will make a noise if bored or alarmed by an intruder.

Due to their high prey drive, the Kooikerhondje may be tempted to run off and chase animals. However, because they’re so obedient once trained, a strong recall should be all you need to avoid problems.

With higher than average intelligence and a love of company, destructiveness in the Kooiker is mostly down to sheer boredom or loneliness.

The Kooiker is enthusiastic about most things, and that includes food! Treats will be a welcome reward to encourage good behaviour.

They don’t have the loudest of barks, but the Kooiker will probably alert you to unknown faces entering their territory. If you’re looking for a good watchdog, however, this probably isn’t the best choice.

The Kooiker could cope in a flat or apartment, providing they get multiple short walks and a run around every day. Ideally, they’ll have a secure garden with space to run off the lead.

The Kooiker has high energy and needs exercise. This dog loves to walk, run, hike, and play sports, and will quickly become frustrated if it doesn’t have a chance to spend its energy. Ideally, the Kooiker will have two long walks per day or multiple shorter, rapid walks - at least 1-2 hours in total.

The Kooiker is a fairly average-sized dog, which means there should be no problem travelling as long as they are well-socialised.

The Kooiker’s hunting instinct isn’t favourable to living with cats.

The Kooiker can be prone to dog aggression and may react negatively to other dogs, especially whilst on the lead. Consistent socialisation can help to prevent this entirely.

The Kooiker is gentle, friendly and playful towards children within their family. However, it’s important to teach younger children how to act around dogs, as the Kooiker is on the small side and may react badly to rough handling.

This breed would be a good companion for a particularly active elderly person.

The Kooiker could make a first dog for those who won’t need to leave them alone for too long, and who lead an active lifestyle (preferably with opportunities for the Kooiker to work). However, it’s important to remember they have a stubborn streak which could be challenging.